It’s that time of year again. Time for outrageous portions of food, unusually cold weather and people posting instagram photos of all of the things (friends) they are thankful for. As kids it was drilled into our heads that November is the month where we are supposed to give thanks for the things we are lucky enough to have in our lives. Sometimes we fail to appreciate what we have until there comes a time where we don’t have it. So despite how corny or cliche it is to create a list of things you are thankful for, I encourage everyone to humor me and just give it a try. You may even surprise yourself with how good it feels to just sit and reflect on all the positive things you’ve got going for you.
- Michael and Robert,
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I firmly believe that if I did not have my brothers by my side I would not be where I am today. Michael and Robert are my biggest role models; they have always been a little hard on me, but I know it is always with the best of intentions. Michael has always taught me the value of respect and courtesy, and pushes me to be the best kind of person I can be. Robert has always motivated me to try as hard as I can to achieve as much as possible. Robert is an incredibly independent and responsible person that it drives me to be more accountable myself. My brothers are my best friends and they have been there for me ever since I was born. I would not trade them for the world as they are a piece of me and who I am. I love them beyond words.
- My family friends,
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Throughout my life, friends have come and gone and I learned that when you find people that are genuine and love you despite all of your flaws and baggage, you should never let them go. I consider my friends like family. I have an issue with becoming overly attached to people really fast and I usually come off too strong. Some people get overwhelmed with my personality, but my closest friends love my clingy nature. I cherish my friends for being able to put up with my constant need for attention, my lack of ability to keep in touch and all the weird parts of my personality that most people find strange. Even though I am not the perfect friend I cannot express how much I treasure my own friends and all they do to support me.
- My love for writing,
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Even though I stress over every little detail and doubt everything I put on paper, writing itself has helped me deal with some of the lowest moments of my life. Writing allows me to say things that I could never articulate as well in person. I discovered through writing that I could use time alone with a journal and a pencil to reflect and really get in touch with myself. Writing has been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember and it is the source of my motivation in life. When people asked me what I wanted to do in high school I would quickly say, “become a journalist.” I am at my most passionate and confident when I am in my writing element. Not only is it a source of relief and comfort, but writing is a source of strength for me as well.
- My parents,
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My parents left a lasting impact on me and how I love others. They inspire me to this day to make them proud. I aspire to be like my parents because they loved me as much as parents can love a child. I consider myself lucky to have had them as parents, because they gave me an amazing childhood full of happy memories. I only hope I can give my children the same kind of childhood that I had.
- My life and all the good that is in it,
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Even though we tend to focus on the negatives more so than the positives, I like to be optimistic (especially around this time of year). I sometimes fail to notice how much I have because all I think about is all of the things I want to have. There is always a positive side to every situation, and I don’t always believe that, but I try to get better at being as optimistic as possible.
Sometimes it can be hard to find things to be thankful for when you feel like everything in your life is going wrong. It can be hard to find the positive side of a bad situation. But there is always something to be thankful for, and we all need to be a little more grateful for what we do have. When you really put things into perspective and understand how much worse things could be, you appreciate all of the good in your life. In the end, no matter how horrible things may seem it isn’t the end of the world, and everything will be okay. So take a moment or a pen and paper to quickly think of all of the things we treasure in our lives.